Lebanon, Algeria, Egypt Register Coronavirus Deaths

A third Lebanese man has died from the coronavirus, Lebanon’s Health Ministry said Thursday.

The 79-year-old had cancer, it said.

According to the state-run National News Agency the man's immune system was impaired.

Local media reported that the virus was transmitted to him from the first man who had died in Lebanon earlier this week.

The Health Ministry said the number of infections stands at 61.

Outside of Iran, only Iraq, Egypt and Lebanon have recorded deaths from the virus in the Middle East. Iran has one of the world's worst death tolls outside of China, the epicenter of the outbreak.

Algeria has registered its first death from the novel coronavirus, the Health Ministry announced on Thursday. 

No further details on the death were provided in the ministry statement, cited by the official APS press agency.

Another five new cases of COVID-19 have been recorded, bringing the total



number of confirmed cases on Algerian soil to 24, the ministry added.

A 25th case -- and the first registered in the country -- concerns an Italian who tested positive in February but who has since left Algeria.

Of the five new cases announced on Thursday, two are Algerians who had been in France.

Egypt reported on Thursday 13 new coronavirus cases, which included one person who died, the Health Ministry said.

A 60-year-old woman had died in a hospital, the ministry said in a statement.

Sudan stopped visa issuances and flight services to eight countries including neighbor Egypt and Italy, a government statement said.

Sudan will also halt bus trips to Egypt, the statement said.

Iraqi Airlines announced on Thursday it would stop all flights to India and Lebanon over the coronavirus outbreak, the state news agency reported.

The statement from the company added that evacuation flights from India will be excluded from this decision, and March 15 will be the last day for Iraqis in Lebanon to return.